Developers wanting to build “Europe’s largest solar farm” are facing pressure from MPs to bump-up their pay offer to Oxfordshire homeowners.
The company behind Botley West Solar Farm has promised to give nearby communities £50,000 each year if controversial plans for the 2,500 acre development near the Blenheim estate are approved.
The solar farm would cover sites near Botley, Kidlington and Woodstock if given the green light.
But Conservative MPs in Oxfordshire said the company's offer was “woefully inadequate” and should be closer to £3 million.
READ MORE: Three young boys arrested on suspicion of arson after house fire
Witney MP Robert Courts, Henley MP John Howell, and Banbury MP Victoria Prentis said in a joint statement: “Funding must go further and be delivered more widely.”
Developers Photovolt Development Partners (PVDP) said the MPs' request would be “fully considered”.
The push from MPs for better pay comes as PVDP prepares to finally submit its proposal to the Planning Inspectorate following the end of a public consultation last Thursday (February 8).
If given the green light, the proposed solar farm would span sites near Botley, Kidlington and Woodstock and deliver 840 Megawatts of clean power into the National Grid.
The development is so large it will be assessed as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project and the final decision will be made by the Government.
If approved, building work could start in 2025.
But fears have been raised over the solar farm’s environmental impact with more than 75 per cent of it planned on Oxford’s Green Belt.
There also concerns about the loss of agricultural land.
Mr Howell, Mr Courts, and Ms Prentis have written to Mark Owen-Lloyd, director of PVDP, calling for more money for local communities.
In a joint letter sent last Wednesday (February 7), they said it would compensate for the “detrimental impact” of the solar farm.
The letter was also penned by Conservative parliamentary candidate for Bicester and Woodstock, Rupert Harrison.
It said: “It is felt strongly that the Community Benefit Funding of £50,000 per annum currently proposed - should your scheme ultimately be approved - is woefully inadequate for a development of this scale.
“This will scarcely ameliorate the detrimental impact of these proposals for local communities.
READ MORE: Parsons Pleasure Oxford death: Woman 'confessed to murder'
“We believe any funding must go further, and be delivered more widely, to ensure the benefit is proportionate to the negative impact residents are expected to endure.
“Community groups argue that a starting point for discussion should instead be £3 million.”
The MPs and Mr Harrison said the current pay offer was one of the reasons “we cannot support your proposals in their current form”.
They also pointed to the impact on “Oxfordshire's most iconic, rolling countryside” and “the loss of vast swathes of productive agricultural land”.
“Given the strength of feeling this development has generated locally, we could only support a radically different approach,” they said.
Their letter came a few days after campaign groups also wrote to the directors of PVDP calling for improved funds.
One of the groups, Oxford Friends of the Earth, said community funding “must be fair and realistic”.
Member Chris Church said: “Projects of this size are a new challenge for us all and a decision will need to be made with great care.
"But if it happens, then the community benefit must be fair and realistic.
"The current offer is for £50,000 a year. This is totally inadequate.
“If this project was to go ahead it will be generating electricity and income for the next 40 years.
🚨 Early February flash sale alert 🚨
— Oxford Mail (@TheOxfordMail) February 7, 2024
Never miss a story on a range of subjects including traffic, politics, crime, planning and Oxford United. 🗞
Sign up to an online subscription for £5 for 5 months or get 30 per cent off annually.
Full details here 👇https://t.co/ti2hqaHyXS pic.twitter.com/Ve3JBT1Lbe
"We are simply calling for a fair chunk of the profits to go back to the local communities.
"This could be a transformative sum of money that could deliver real lasting benefits.
“If agreed, Botley West should be a great example of what can be done.
“We are asking the developers to reconsider the current offer and make a more realistic offer.”
PVDP admitted that a “large number” of people had asked for more community funding in the consultation.
A spokesman said: “We are really grateful for the feedback that we have received in this area and it is something that will be fully considered as the project moves forward.”
He added: “It is important that our community benefits initiatives are viewed as a whole.
“As well as a fund, we are proposing to establish a retail electricity company to sell the output from Botley West Solar Farm to local residents at discounted rates, and we have also explored on-site benefits such as new footpaths and cycle paths, as well as areas for community food growing.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel